DoorDash has added security features to its app in order to protect drivers.
Delivery company San Francisco’s DoorDash announced Wednesday that it has partnered with security company ADT to create the new features. These will be made available to all U.S. DoorDash driver by the end this year.
DoorDash drivers feeling unsafe can now connect with an ADT agent via a button on their app. ADT will connect with the driver until they feel comfortable. If the driver does not feel comfortable, ADT will contact 911.
DoorDash has also added an emergency-assistance button in its app. Drivers can swipe this button to alert ADT that they require immediate assistance. ADT will call 911, then stay in touch with the driver through text messages.
This safety improvement follows several high-profile attacks against delivery drivers. A 19-year-old DoorDash driver from Columbus, Ohio was attacked after he misunderstood an address. Two teens from Washington, D.C. attacked an Uber Eats driver in March with a stun gun, causing the vehicle to crash and killing them. A DoorDash driver was also shot to death in August while making deliveries in Maryland.
DoorDash isn’t the only delivery company that has added safety features for drivers. Instacart introduced a button in its app last year that allows customers to contact emergency services directly. The app automatically shares the location of the shopper with these services.
Lyft and Uber both have in-app buttons that allow riders and drivers to contact emergency services from their apps. Lyft announced a partnership last year with ADT.
Ronae Christensen is a DoorDash driver from Los Angeles County who is a member the company’s driver council. She believes the safety buttons are a fantastic idea.
Christensen used to drive for Lyft and Uber until June 2019. However, she now drives for DoorDash exclusively because of safety concerns.
She said, “Being a single women, the thought that someone else might be here leaves me feeling open to the possibility of having them in my life,”
Christensen stated that she called DoorDash support twice or three times because she felt unsafe. She said that although the operators were helpful in handling these situations, they felt distant.
She said, “This tool’s so much better.” It’s going to be very reassuring, especially for a woman.
